The invention relates to a rotary tabletting machine with a housing, with a matrix disk in the housing, which in an upper and a lower receiving section guides an upper and a lower punch, with an upper and a lower cam carrier rotationally rigid relative to the housing, for control of the upper and lower punches and with an upright drive shaft, below the matrix disk, driven by a rotational drive and releasably connectable to the matrix disk, wherein the matrix disk and the cam carrier rings with the upper and lower punches may be commonly removed from the drive shaft as an assembly.
From EP 0 288 798 there is known a tabletting machine with which the matrix disk which comprises receiving sections for the upper and lower punch and associated cam carrier rings form an assembly which may be lifted by a drive shaft when a suitable screw connection between the drive shaft and the matrix disk is released. In this manner a shortening of the standstill times of the machine given an exchange of a matrix disk for another may be achieved. Also the cleaning time may be significantly reduced in this manner. With the known tabletting machine the cam carrier rings are supported on corresponding holding rings of the housing, wherein these holding rings with the assembly are lifted from the drive shaft when the rotor of the machine as a whole is removed. For this purpose between the cam carrier rings and the holding rings there are provided catches which provide for the described entraining.
A similar tabletting machine is known from EP 0 460 295 A1.
With the known tabletting machine according to EP 0 288 798 the upper and lower cam carrier ring in each case per se is prevented from following the rotational movement of the matrix disk. Normally with conventional tabletting machines the upper cam carrier ring is secured on the machine upper part against rotation, and the lower cam carrier ring is fastened on the hub of the machine middle part. Further components which are required for the operation of the tabletting machine such as for example a tablet discharge, an upper scraper, a sorting-out device etc. are fastened on the machine housing and must likewise be removed before the matrix disk assembly may be removed for product change or cleaning purposes. The supply and control conduits which are connected to these components are led freely to these.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a rotary tabletting machine with which the change of a matrix disk assembly may be effected even more quickly.
This object is achieved by the features of the present invention.
With the rotary tabletting machine according to the invention to each cam carrier ring laterally there is connected at least one arm, wherein the lateral arms preferably are arranged in a vertical plane to one another when the matrix disk assembly is installed. The lateral arms are connected rigidly to a stiff or rigid essentially vertical connection section which for its part via the housing or the frame of the press is secured against rotation. The preferably U-shaped component formed by the connection section and the arms serves first and foremost as a torque support, i.e. secures the cam carrier rings against a rotation relative to the housing. Furthermore such a component is reached such that the cam carrier rings are automatically entrained when the matrix disk assembly is lifted or removed from the drive shaft. An axial and/or radial mounting of the cam carrier rings may take place opposite the receiving sections of the matrix disk, wherein the lower cam carrier ring may axially also be supported on the drive shaft. This is however not necessary but rather the lower cam carrier ring may axially also be supported on the upper cam carrier ring over the associated arm and the connection section.
The connection section of the tabletting machine according to the invention is releasably couplable to the housing. Preferably a type of plug coupling is provided with a plug coupling section on the connection section and a complementary coupling section on the housing so that on placing on the matrix disk assembly automatically there takes place a connection of the coupling parts and thus a rotational securement of the cam carrier rings.
In the described way and manner the matrix disk assembly becomes a compact unit which may be installed and removed even more simply that with the conventional tabletting machine.
The embodiment, according to the invention, of the tabletting machine has the further advantage that additional, peripherally arranged components or units which are required for operation such as tablet scraper, tablet discharge, sorting-out device, etc. may now be attached on the connection section. The connection of these components to the connection section may be constantly maintained when the matrix disk assembly is released and removed. Automatically the above parts are co-removed via the connection section. A time-consuming complicated release of these components or units from the machine housing before the removal of the matrix disk assembly may therefore be done away with.
Particularly advantageous is the design of the connection section as a holder or guide of supply and control conduits for the peripheral components, for example the supply with air, electricity and lubrication oil. For this purpose the coupling via which the connection section is connected to the machine housing may comprise a multitude of coupling parts, preferably plug coupling parts which cooperate with complementary coupling parts on the connection section when the connection section is coupled to the machine housing. To the plug coupling parts in the connection section there are then connected the conduits leading to the components.
The invention is hereinafter described in more detail by way of an embodiment example shown in the drawings.